While women make up slightly more
than half of the US workforce and half of the college-educated workforce, they
are underrepresented in the nation's science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics, or STEM, jobs. To encourage more women to consider STEM careers,
the Department of Energy built a webpage with articles about women who work in
STEM areas for the Department, including the national labs. As they state on
their page: "We hope that the stories of
these, and many more, women in STEM can inspire others as they think about the
future. Only 24% of the STEM workforce is female, an alarming gap as over 51%
of the workforce overall is female."

Several outstanding scientists
from PNNL are featured. The articles include highlights of their careers to
date, why they joined the field, what they enjoy doing in their spare time, and
how to bring more people to STEM subjects. Here's a few of their suggestions:

"For
students beginning their exposure to science and engineering, it is critical to
provide more support and opportunities to engage with role models at the middle
school level. It can make a big difference to teach science and engineering
with hands-on, practical experiences that bring out the fun in our work."
- Charlette
Geffen

"It
is so important to follow your heart and your brain. If you've ever looked up
at the sky and wondered why it's blue, why the grass is green, then you are
well on your way!" - Kathy
Hibbard

"Strive
to get any work experience that you can before looking for a long-term job. In
high school holding any job will help demonstrate that you have a strong work
ethic and provide you skills in communication and getting along with others. "
- Margie
Romine

"People
need to be able to envision themselves in an environment where they believe
they can succeed and enjoy what they do. Exposing underrepresented groups to a
variety of mentors in different fields and work environments would enable
individuals to determine what interests them." - Karen
Schuchardt

"If
you only study one discipline, especially in biology, you will lack the vision
to relate across the science domains. Big data and biotechnology are growing so
much that multidisciplinary training is a must. " - Katrina
Waters

"We need to ‘de-mystify'
STEM subjects, and stop pretending that it's hard to be a scientist or an
engineer. It isn't hard-it's fun! But like many other fun things
being really, really good at science and math requires practice." - Karin
Rodland

"The opportunity to
concentrate and experience the simple joy of scientific problem solving can
help develop their interests and build confidence. Both schools and families
have important roles to play in this effort." - Ruby
Leung

"It is difficult being a
scientist without having both a passion and a curiosity for science. However,
this is not enough. The ability to see the bigger picture, persistence,
networking, and communication skills are all equally important." - Julia
Laskin

"Mentoring is important. I
volunteer in several capacities to help underrepresented high school students
conduct environmental science projects through a program called EnvironMentors.
It is wonderful to see the students' accomplishments. It can be very empowering
to learn from someone else in a nurturing setting, where it is okay to ask
questions and observe new things." -Meredydd
Evans

"It is essential to have an
open mind and think independently. Find problems that interest you and that you
feel you have the potential to make a unique and independent
contribution." - Alla
Zelenyuk

"Follow your interests. It
is important to find something you are passionate about rather than to follow
every fashionable topic." - Kerstin
Kleese van Dam